A Love for All Time Read Online Free PDF Page B

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    “Oh, but there is!” His voice was soft, but the measured words left no doubt as to their rock-hard meaning. “I’m very attracted to you. I’m thirty-four years old and you are the first woman I’ve ever wanted in any way other than physically, and that’s not saying that I don’t want you that way, too. After you get to know me, you’ll find that I don’t pass out compliments lightly. I meant it when I said you have a beautiful mouth and I also mean it when I say you have a hard, cynical attitude.”
    “What you’re saying is ridiculous! I’m not … hard or cynical,” she blurted out, and moved her head so suddenly on the pillow that she winced. “You don’t know anything about me, and … my personal life is none of your business.”
    “I do know about you. I hadn’t planned on having this conversation just yet. I wanted to wait until you were stronger.” He paused and raised his brows in question, but Casey was too dumbfounded to speak. He reached over and lifted her hair from her neck and tucked it behind her head. “You havebeautiful hair, too. When I was in your apartment I saw the posters of you demonstrating the cosmetic line. I stole one of them.”
    “You’ve … you’ve been to my apartment?” Casey’s mouth remained agape after she gasped the words.
    “Of course. How do you think your personal things got here?” He laughed at the vaguely puzzled look on her face.
    “I thought Judy brought them up before she left on one of her flights. She’s a stewardess for an international airline and lives next …” her voice trailed off in disbelief.
    “I met Judy,” Dan said matter-of-factly. “She helped select what you’d need. She also told me your rent was due. I paid it for another month, so you needn’t worry about that.”
    “You have a nerve! I’ve lived there six years. They wouldn’t have thrown me out for being a month behind in my rent.”
    “I realize that under the circumstances your landlord would have waited for the rent money, but it wasn’t necessary.” He looked at her intently. “Why are your arms covered? Are you cold?”
    “No! Yes!” She couldn’t think with him sitting so close to her and looking as if he knew every line and hair on her body. Consciously she willed herself to remember that this man was a stranger to her. She knew absolutely nothing about him except what he had told her.
    “I like touching you,” he said softly, breakinginto her thoughts. His hand slid beneath the sheet and his fingers closed around her forearm. “That’s better.” He smiled into her eyes as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to caress her arm.
    Casey felt the warmth and sense of connection that pulsed so powerfully between them. At the moment it was a quiet, yet profound feeling, but suddenly she was jolted by an instant flash of memory. This had happened before! I’m losing my mind was her next thought. Then, overwhelmed by what she was feeling, the stiffness left her body, her eyes lost themselves in the dark, gray depths of his, and she seemed to be filled with a warmth and completeness that was new to her. She was conscious of nothing except firm warm fingers on her arm holding her back. But … from what?
    “I knew you’d relax if I could touch you.” His voice came softly through the roar in her ears. “You’ve been lying there stiff as a board.” The hand moved slowly up and down her arm. She had a mad impulse to hug it to her side, to keep the security of his touch with her. “We’ve got to get you out of here so I can take you home with me.”
    “What?” Reality returned instantly. “What?” she said again, and her mouth remained open, her lips still forming the word.
    Dan laughed, his eyes moving over her face. Firm fingers pressed beneath her chin to push her lips together.
    “I want to take you to my home near Bend assoon as you’re released from the hospital. You’ll be in no condition either physically or